Apple's new iMac and keyboard: first hands-on

Aight, we just got our hands on the new 4th generation iMac and its wired and wireless Bluetooth keyboards. What can we say, it's all super sexy. Unfortunately we're not too partial to the MacBook square-key grid layout, and we really, REALLY wish Apple would get rid of the Jay Leno chin on the iMac already, but check out the pics and see for yourself.

Gallery: Apple's new iMac and keyboard: first hands-on

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[AlexP @ Aug 7th 2007 2:48PM]

That's just... Awesome, can't wait to order mine.

[Ireland @ Aug 7th 2007 4:25PM]

Up to 2.8Ghz Core 2 Duo, friggin' hell!!

[AlexP @ Aug 7th 2007 5:12PM]

Ordered mine - 2.8GHz :V

I'm sticking with 2GB of memory, for now.

[loci @ Aug 7th 2007 5:27PM]

"That's just... Awesome, can't wait to order mine"

says the rep from apple.

really fookin ugly screen and the huge lower border is such an eyesore

[AlexP @ Aug 7th 2007 5:38PM]

Apple rep, LOL.

I also ordered an Inspiron not too long ago - I have yet to receive it.

And I'm typing this from a PC I built in 04.

I'm in graphic design and Macs are an industry standard.

[dood @ Aug 7th 2007 11:01PM]

why are you justifying your purchase by saying Macs are an industry standard in Graphic Design? Its your money, buy what you want, ignore the big mouths, they do nothing but spew bile.

[Mike I @ Aug 8th 2007 2:36AM]

Uhm, because he is correct. I am a professional graphic artist and I can tell you that Macs ARE the industry standard for graphic design. There is no need for him to "justify" his purchase with that fact. I was forced to switch to Macs when I stopped working freelance. After the week or so it took to fully understand how to interface with the new computer, I never once looked back. Now I work on my Mac Pro and couldn't be happier with it.

[mikey @ Aug 8th 2007 6:42AM]

whats the deal with these stupidly reflective displays? sure it might sharpen up the image or give it a bit more depth...but you can't see anything in sunlight. am i missing something here?

[jedda @ Aug 8th 2007 10:25AM]

I am sick and tired of the myth that Macs are an "industry standard" for graphic design or even neccesary for the field. Not to mention the iMac is not even a pro level machine. The real standard is the Adobe Software Suite. I hope you are not useing iMovie or iPhoto for your professional work. As for me, I will save my money on the hardware and put it in my pocket as profit.

[John @ Aug 9th 2007 7:40AM]

@jedda

You are correct in saying that Adobe Creative Suite is the industry standard for graphic design, but Macs are more of a standard because of their better font support and color management. Also, desktop publishing was pioneered on Macintosh computers, making them an industry standard as early as the 1980s.

[wei @ Aug 7th 2007 2:49PM]

hot damn

[Steve Jobs @ Aug 8th 2007 2:43AM]

That's right, son.

[yelohbird @ Aug 7th 2007 2:52PM]

The black border around the screen is disgusting. Where did that come from?

[greatslack @ Aug 7th 2007 2:54PM]

srsly

[Phil Perman @ Aug 7th 2007 2:57PM]

I have to agree. It looked good when it was switched off and it was just a big black rectangle, but with the screen it doesn't look anywhere near as hot as I first thought.

[primetime4 @ Aug 7th 2007 2:59PM]

A lot of video panels have black bezel around them to make the picture pop and it surprisingly works. Apple is not the only ones doing this. I actually think it looks pretty good.

[required @ Aug 7th 2007 3:07PM]

I remember when apple made a big deal about the "apple designed" gray border they chose for their monitors - I guess they were wrong back then and black is what they should have done - lol - expect new monitors to have "apple designed" black borders

[paloooz @ Aug 7th 2007 3:28PM]

You know what? If there's room for a black border, there's room for more LCD.

Get rid of the border, put in a bigger LCD.

[john @ Aug 7th 2007 3:36PM]

If you know WHY they chose the gray boarder then it makes sense. The grey boarders were only on the separate monitors, remember the iMac has always had a white boarder until now. The monitors are considered 'Pro' equipment, and the grey boarder is to help graphic designers view color accurately. A non-grey boarder affects the perception of the colors on the screen. As iMacs become more of a media center machine for viewing photos and videos by regular people, they are pushing the design of the iMac more towards that of a television. Most televisions have black boarders because it makes the image 'pop' a bit more.

For those reasons, you can expect the monitors to retain their grey boarders.


SUCKA!

[Bogdan @ Aug 7th 2007 4:01PM]

totally agree.

[tigs @ Aug 7th 2007 4:29PM]

@Palooz

Precisely! The 20 inch screen's 1050 vertical lines of resolution is only 30 pixels from true HD. Why stop at 97.222% when the real estate is there?

[unloud @ Aug 7th 2007 5:28PM]

There actually is a better reason for there being a border around the edge, and that is because of the casing itself.

The entire case is made out of one solid piece of aluminum, meaning there are no screws or anything to take off the back and put in the motherboard in. So, in order to fit the computer's components inside, they had to be put in through where the monitor is. The components inside are wider than the monitor, thus the border around the edge to cover the area where the components were inserted.

They chose to make the border black because having an aluminum edge would have looked like shit and having a white one would look like shit too. The black also has the advantage of making the screen's colors appear brighter and more crisp.... In my opinion, the black border doesn't look bad at all, especially if it means the case is more solid due to that.

[frogtrotter @ Aug 7th 2007 8:54PM]

Couldn't agree more. That black bezel is the biggest eyesore i have ever seen. I am a huge fan of Apple's great aesthetic design, but this is a mistake. It looks like they tried to model it after the iPhone and completely failed. If they were going for this, they sould have the whole display a matte black finish like the black macbook and keep the back the same brushed aluminum. That would look very sexy. This however has made my eyeballs burn.

[mongoos150 @ Aug 7th 2007 9:09PM]

It's not that bad - and actually looks great contrasting with the screen. Higher perceived contrast ratio and all of that. Also sets off the color saturation better than a white border would on the new glossy screen. Compared with the white strip of the (now) defunct iMacs, this is a big improvement.

[pedrotski @ Aug 9th 2007 8:40AM]

It came from the 70's. I love it.

[Eideard @ Aug 7th 2007 2:53PM]

When will engadget use reviewers who list, examine and evaluate technology without letting us in on their "really important" personal hangups. I could care less that some blivet hates square keys or only likes pc cases in purple!

[Simon P @ Aug 7th 2007 3:18PM]

half the appeal of engadget is the human aspect. i can look up a spec sheet anywhere. i like hearing what they have to say and i can then choose whether to ignore it or not. they've always done this and hopefully always will. i'm surpised you're still here if it bothers you that much.

[Eugene @ Aug 8th 2007 2:09AM]

When engadget stops being a Blog and becomes a huge boring news corporation.

Keep the human elemnt, the personal aspect and the bloggers opinions - they are the things that keep people coming back.

[manfesto @ Aug 7th 2007 2:53PM]

But without the Leno chin, where will our Post-it notes go?

[required @ Aug 7th 2007 3:10PM]

in a recycling bin

[Yours Smugly @ Aug 7th 2007 4:18PM]

I really don't understand why people whine about the "Jay Leno chin" of the iMacs. I mean, it's a computer dammit, not a screen. The stuff has to go somewhere. And besides, where would they put the Apple logo if there was no "chin"? ;)

[ronh @ Aug 7th 2007 9:28PM]

Maybe the post it notes can go into the Dashboard that's built into MacOS X. I mean do we still need to use little post-it notes when we have the ability to put it in a calendar, e-mail, or post-it not like program?

[nikster @ Aug 7th 2007 9:00PM]

Ad fat chin: It's sort of like complaining that the Mona Lisa is not blonde. Idiotic.

Look at this work of art - it's incredible. Now, everyone knows and expects Apple to make a new iMac the most beautiful ever, and they have pulled it off. Again.

But what really blows me away is the keyboard. Think about it - what other company would go through the trouble and completely redesign something as staid as the keyboard. And then come up with a design as radical as this? No=one! Because:
- They wouldn't think of redesigning the keyboard in the first place
- Even if they thought of it, the risk rejection is too high
- What's wrong with the old keyboard?

That's why I love Apple - always pushing the envelope. Now maybe they'll fix the Mighty Mouse for me... ;)

[Jeff @ Aug 7th 2007 10:09PM]

"Think about it - what other company would go through the trouble and completely redesign something as staid as the keyboard. And then come up with a design as radical as this? No=one!"

Uh...

http://oldcomputers.net/pics/ibm-pcjr-1.jpg

No one, eh?

[Steve Jobs @ Aug 8th 2007 2:43AM]

Have you forgotten about the world's most amazing Sticky note alternative that I made possible for you in our Dashboard application? Lets try to not be so n00b next time, my friend.

[Ogre @ Aug 7th 2007 2:54PM]

I can't believe they killed off the Apple logo from the command key!

[required @ Aug 7th 2007 4:08PM]

and the logo on the "chin" is horsey

[Ireland @ Aug 8th 2007 1:05AM]

Yeah, I mean how dare they kill of a LOGO that just confused people ¿

[Rick @ Aug 7th 2007 9:19PM]

Yes it is sad, but as some one who trains people, It is much easier to say "use the command key", then to say "use the Apple/Command key, it's next to the space bar." I can see how this would be an "ease of use" advantage to newbies and switchers.

I will miss the Apple though.

[elusive @ Aug 8th 2007 5:06AM]

Sacrilege!
is it Apple-Q forever?
One more step towards PC blandness.

I WANT MY APPLE BACK!

[wombat @ Aug 8th 2007 11:40AM]

It was never "apple"-anything. It was always "command." Now it just isn't confusing.

[elusive @ Aug 9th 2007 3:53AM]

I beg to differ.

Has anyone considered that non-English mac users do not use the term "command"?
What are they going to put on the German keyboard for example? "achtung" ?
Even in The Netherlands people are used to calling their shortcuts "appeltje - S" or "appeltje-C".
I think the implications of dropping the apple logo from that key is a serious, serious mistake, and has more implications than the mere iconic ones.

Steve & Jonathan, I implore you to reconsider!!

[Sushi @ Aug 7th 2007 2:55PM]

The black border around the screen is disgusting. Where did that come from?


totally!

[Heffer @ Aug 7th 2007 4:12PM]

DELL's design team.

[Nintendolinky @ Aug 7th 2007 2:56PM]

So excited come on apple store open up, i need to sell my current imac and buy the new one and im being serious

[db @ Aug 7th 2007 2:57PM]

Hey! There's a bullshit keyboard pic in there...
http://www.engadget.com/photos/apples-new-imac-and-keyboard-first-hands-on/343530/

[Adam @ Aug 13th 2007 3:36PM]

?? That's the wireless keyboard

[JJV @ Aug 7th 2007 2:59PM]

on apple's spec page it says up to 2.8 Ghz core 2 Extreme, yet here it says up to 2.4Ghz,,

wonder why that is.

[mongoos150 @ Aug 7th 2007 9:21PM]

Standard config is 2.4GHz Core2Duo. You can order the X7900 (2.8GHz Core2Extreme).

[Evan @ Aug 7th 2007 2:59PM]

You could duct-tape a MacBook Pro onto the back of a Cinema Display, so I don't understand why they need the "chin".